Summer's End
by SakuraPetals13
Summary: Mikan, her boyfriend Natsume, and her best friend Hotaru decided to spend their vacation at Hotaru's hometown at Laguna. But after an accident, their world's went upside down. please read and review! thanks guys! i don't own GA and the characters!


**chibi-chan.08**: hi everyone? So.. Err… I'm going to make another story.. A one shot story ok? I read it from my book and I just really need to let it out.. I'm going to change the characters' name 'cuz while I'm reading the story, I imagined the GA characters.. XD

I DON'T OWN **GAKUEN ALICE **NOR THE CHARACTERS! I ALSO DON'T OWN **"NIGHTMARES"**!

"**SUMMER'S END"**

**I want to let you know that the world is plagued with inexplicable horrors, to vast for mundane intellect. **Maybe someday someone will understand. But first, let me tell you about Mikan. Sweet, lovely Mikan.

Mikan was one of those few people that I can truly call a friend. Mikan was a picture of quiet loveliness. Confident but never obnoxious, funny but not vulgar. She was comfortable with herself, a trait I knew others envied, at times, including me.

There was one thing strange about her though. She was sensitive to me, my feelings and needs, even if I don't tell her anything. Sometimes, I get this really weird feeling that she could actually read my mind. I always felt that she was strong, psychologically maybe. Physically, she was frail, somewhat sickly. But she emits this certain aura which is difficult to describe, the word "ethereal" always comes to mind.

**Everything took place on a Friday night, towards the end of summer. **my parents were out of the country at that time. I was sitting quietly in my room after a long day at work, just waiting for dusk to set in. I was suddenly overcome by a dreadful feeling of being alone.

Fortunately, before I was totally engulfed by sordid thoughts of whatever nature, the phone rang. It was Mikan. She, however, couldn't chat. She just wanted to check if I could join her and two other friends on a last minute, end-of summer trip to a place somewhere in the bowels of Laguna, the hometown of Hotaru (**let's just imagine that Hotaru lives at Laguna**), one of the two friends. I decline the invitation, and after a cheery chorus of "there'll be next times," Mikan and I said our goodbyes.

Strangely, the conversation did not make me feel even a tad better, as our conversations did. If anything, that tiny dark seed entombed deep inside me sprouted into inexplicable fear.

The next evening found me seated on my desk, writing story. I was so caught up in the atrocities of my heroine's nemesis that I did not even notice the time. It was only 10:40 when I started. When I went up for air later, the clock told me that I had been working for almost four hours.

At first, I thought the ringing was only inside my head. It was full five seconds before I realized that someone was pressing the doorbell insistently. Although it was already a little after three in the morning, I was not scared --- just annoyed. Muttering curses under my breath, I ran to the gate and called out to whomever it was who dared to disturb the smooth flow of my creative juices.

"Sara?" a shaky voice answered my indignant call. "it's me Mikan. Open up please!"

"Mikan?" Surprised, I unlocked the gate. "I thought you were in Laguna with Hotaru and Natsume?"

I was shocked at the appearance of the frightened mouse-like Mikan who stumbled weakly inside. Hair messed up, clothes torn and dirty as if she ran all the way to my house, and fell a number of times.

"Mikan!" I hurried towards her, arms outstretched, ready to envelope her in a comforting hug. Abruptly, she stepped back.

"Don't touch me!" She screeched. "Don't, Sara…please, let's just go inside."

I quietly led her to my bedroom and asked if she wanted water, or the police, or anything. She answered with a short, sarcastic laugh.

"The police? What could they do when everything has already been done? No, no police Sara. Just you and me, okay?"

I nodded. She began to sob hysterically. Things were definitely not well.

"Oh Sara… it was horrible! Really horrible!" She violently shook her head back and forth as if trying to block something out. I moved closer, and was about to take her arm when she stood up.

"I have to tell you Sara…I have to…" Mikan faltered, and started crying again. I let her be for awhile then mumbled "go on."

Mikan roughly brushed the tears off her face and whispered pleadingly, "Sara, whatever you hear from me today, please promise that you won't run away from me. That you'll be my friend and you won't get scared. It's very important to me. Promise me Sara!"

I could only nod mutely in response.

Trying to regain her composure, Mikan sighed deeply and began her story.

***

**It was 9:15 in the evening when Hotaru, Natsume and Mikan left Manila in Mikan's white, box-type Lancer.** Mikan drove while the other two chatted. She did not take part in the conversation for she was feeling a bit uneasy about the whole trip.

It was almost eleven when they reached a tiny practically uninhabited town in Laguna, which didn't look familiar to Mikan. She groaned as she realized that she must have taken a wrong turn somewhere.

Mikan's uneasiness grew as she peered at the empty dark road. On her right, Natsume was fast asleep and Hotaru was quiet at the back seat too. As their car passed the last house --- Mikan decided that someone else should take over the wheel.

"Oh Natsume," she crooned. "Wake up, wake up. It's your turn to drive." She glanced at the figure beside her who refused to stir. "Hey Natsume!"

"Mikan watch out!"

Startled by Hotaru's voice, Mikan quickly looked up and saw a black figure dart towards their vehicle.

"Damn!" She swerved instinctively to the right and hit the brakes at the same time, in the hope of avoiding the figure. A tree seemed to rush towards them. Then everything went black.

"Mikan? Mikan?"

When she came to, Hotaru and Natsume were looking at her worriedly.

"What happened?" She mumbled.

"The tree fell in love with our car," said Natsume.

"How long was I out?"

Hotaru glanced at her watch. "I think we were all out for about 10 minutes. I don't know where I hit my head though."

Mikan looked blankly at her. "I thought you were asleep."

"Good thing I woke up when you called Hyuuga, or else we'd be murderers by now."

"I'd appreciate it if someone would tell me what exactly happened," Natsume interjected. "And while you're at it, maybe you can also identify where we are."

"I took a wrong turn, I think," Mikan muttered.

"You what?"

Before Natsume could burst into a stream of profanity, Hotaru gave him a recap of the accident. Mikan peeked tentatively outside the window. There was no figure in sight. _Funny_, she mused. _He should have at least had the decency to check on us_.

"Well, where is he?" Natume demanded. "I don't see anyone. Can we get ot of here ladies?"

Mikan turned the ignition. Nothing happened.

"What's wrong?" Hotaru and Natsume chorused. Mikan tried again. Still nothing,

"Must be the battery," Natsume said. "Somebody hand me a flashlight." Neither girl responded. "Don't tell me. No flashlight right?"

"So, we won't tell you," Hotaru said defiantly.

Natsume let loose a steady flow of choice curse words.

"You brought clothes enough for a month and no one even thought of bringing a flashlight?"

"You didn't either," Mikan snapped back.

Hotaru sighed. "Now what?"

"We wait for morning, I guess."

"Not in here we won't! I'm not gonna stay trapped in this car in the middle of creepy old nowhere!" Hotaru answered.

"You have a better idea?" Natsume asked with sarcasm.

"Yes, I do."

After a few minutes, the three friends trudged noisily towards the little town they had passed. Mikan thought the move was not very smart, but Hotaru was insistent for she would rather roam around that be trapped in the dead of the night inside a car. She had a bad case of claustrophobia.

"Brilliant idea Imai, Just brilliant. My feet are so sore." Natsume complained.

Mikan looked at him with distaste. "Shut up! You'll wake the entire neighborhood."

"What in neighborhood? We're in a limbo."

"I see a little nipa hut on the left," Hotaru said meekly.

"Oh, I remember that one," Mikan said softly. It was the shanty they passed earlier --- the one isolated from the rest. It seemed ordinary enough. Mikan shivered slightly. The uneasiness she felt earlier suddenly came back. She took an involuntary step backwards.

"I don't want to go in there," she mumbled.

"What? Why?" Natsume said with a trace of annoyance. "Walk another hundred miles or so and see if you can find another house."

"Hyuuga's right Mikan. This is the only one we're seen around here so far, and I'm exhausted." Hotaru said.

Mikan smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry…yeah, I guess you're right. I'm being silly. It's just that, for a moment there…" Mikan's smile faded. "Never mind. Forget it."

Natsume put his arm around her shoulders. "Polka old girl, I think we should knock on the door, be polite to the owner and beg for a roof over our heads. Don't worry, I'll protect you."

They approached the hose and Natsume knocked tentatively on the sawali door.

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

The door opened an inch and they saw a pair of dark eyes peep out at them.

"Hi." Natsume greeted. "We're harmless folks sir…er, ma'am…whatever. I'm Natsume, this is Hotaru and this is Mikan. Our car hit a tree and it won't start so we…" his speech slowly faded into thin air as the door opened wider and revealed a soft, young female.

"I think I understand your problem," she said. Her voice had a sing-song quality that matched Natsume's. "You need a place to stay for the night, am I right?"

"That's exactly the case ma'am," Natsume's charm was in full force.

"I'd be happy to help. Please come in." She led them to a tiny, sparsely-furnished room. A wooden table and three chairs maid of bamboo were in the room's highlight. A kerosene lamp lay on top of the table, and another was a rotten counter at the far end of the room. There were two doorways on the right, both covered with a tattered curtain instead of a door.

"Please excuse my house. I'm sure you city folks aren't used to this."

"No. This is perfectly fine. We shouldn't have imposed on you ma'am," Hotaru said apologetically.

The girl gave them a strange smile. "Luna please. And I love having visitors. I live alone, and sometimes, it gets boring."

Luna stood up and walked towards the counter. "I was just preparing tea for myself. I'd like you to join me."

Natsume and Hotaru agreed. Luna glanced at a quiet Mikan and raised an eyebrow. In the soft glimmer of light that barely flooded the room, Mikan took stock of the woman who was willingly giving them shelter for the night. Her hair, a glorious mane of ebony, fell to her shoulders. As far as Mikan see, her skin was the color of café au lait. _A typical barrio lass_, Mikan surmised.

As their host brought the tea, Mikan looked closely at her face, and all thoughts of Luna's gentle demanor faded.

Her features were distinctly Filipino, but something in Luna's face reminded Mikan of a vulture. She gazed at Mikan and for one fleeting moment, her eyes narrowed into sharp, cold glare. A moment later it was gone, and Luna's lips curled upwards. _I prefer the scowl_, Mikan thought.

"So," Luna sat down and directed her gaze towards Natsume. "What brought you to this part of Laguna?"

"We were on our way to my hometown but Mikan took a wrong turn," related Hotaru. "Then some jerk ran directly towards our car. Mikan swerved to avoid him so we hit a tree."

"And now our car won't start," Natsume added. "We're lucky to have found you."

"That's too bad." Luna smiled sweetly. Mikan didn't know if she was referring to their accident, or to having found her.

"Do you really live here alone?" Hotaru asked curiously. Luna nodded. "Where are your parents?"

"Dead." Luna looked away and the serene expression on her face was replaced by a mask of blankness. "They died when I was very young. They were killed by city folks."

"Oh…I'm sorry," Hotaru mumbled sheepishly as Natsume kicked her on the shin.

"That's okay. It was a very long time ago," Luna said without emotion.

"Have you lived here all your life?" The question suddenly popped out of Mikan's mouth.

Luna smiled but her eyes glared ever so lightly. "No, I'm from far south, but I moved here when my parents were killed. My family belonged to an old tribe of headhunters."

"Headhunters?" Natsume smirked.

"Yes. The Mangaway was a sacred practice to my people, it was believed that headhunting ensured the success of our livelihood. But mainly…" Luna stood up. "Headhunting is a form of protection and revenge. Mangaway is justified by the death of our people in the hands of an enemy."

"But that must have been a long time ago," said Hotaru. "I read somewhere that headhunting was widely practiced during the Spanish era, but that was long before World War I."

Luna nodded. "A very long time ago," she repeated.

Mikan looked at her thoughtfully and another question just popped out of her mouth. "How old are you Luna?"

Luna stared at her and Mikan shivered at the coldness she saw in their host's eyes.

"Older than you think."

***

**Mikan paused for breath, then burst out, "I should have known Sara! From the start, I should have done something to get us out of that place!"** Her tone expressed defeat. "This is all my fault."

I looked at her tear-strained face and was frightened. For a moment there, I thought she looked translucent. Must have been a trick of the light.

"Why don't you continue?" I said in a shaky voice. Mikan nodded and started to talk.

**Mikan walked along a narrow stretch of dirt, lost and alone.** she had no idea where she was, yet a feeling of familiarity gnawed at her.

She came to a clearing and knelt down to drink from a sparkling stream. While looking at the water, the clear liquid suddenly turned into mud. Maggots, leeches, huge snakes and black spiders (**creepy spiders! Ewww!**) rose to the surface. Mikan screamed and left hurriedly, only to bump into a man.

"Mikan…" it was Natsume's voice. She looked up to see her boyfriend's face being devoured by small, fat worm-like creatures.

"Mikan…help me, please!" Natsume pleaded.

Mikan looked at him in horror and helplessness.

Natsume's figure faded and Mikan was thrown in the middle of thick forest. Around her, bloodcurdling screams echoed through the trees. Screams that pierced her body and mind. She turned as she heard a loud rustling sound. There was someone there or something. And it was waiting for her.

She woke up with a start. Staring wide-eyed at the strange surroundings, it took Mikan a full minute before she realized where she was.

"Morning Polka," Natsume greeted, but his put on cheer did not reach his tired eyes. He was fully-clothed. Hotaru was groaning in her sleep.

"What time is it?"

"It's a bit before six." "You're up early."

"I couldn't sleep much," he mumbled, staring at the floor. "But our host was up earlier. She's not here."

"Good," Mikan muttered.

"Want to check the car first before we search for a phone?"

"Sure."

They both glanced at Hotaru.

"She seems to be having the same bad dreams as I had," said Natsume

"Bad dreams?" Mikan answered curiously.

Natsume nodded. "Very bad. Rural living doesn't suit me, I guess."

Both of them shook Hotaru awake and a few minutes later, the three friends were out of the hut.

They walked silently towards the car.

There was an unusual air about which Mikan couldn't put her finger on, and this scared her. Pictures of her gory nightmare flashed vividly in her head. She remembered Natsume saying something about having bad dreams himself. She remembered the look on Hotaru's face while she was asleep.

Mikan was frightened. Very frightened.

"What is it?" Natsume whispered. It took awhile before Mikan figured out that her boyfriend was talking about that same strange feeling.

"I don't know." Mikan shrugged. "Something's not right. I can't tell…"

She glanced at Natsume who was walking alongside her. Mikan stopped abruptly snd gazed closely at her boyfriend. "Natsume…" She finally knew what was wrong.

Mikan gaped at Natsume in horror. She couldn't speak, couldn't cry out to her boyfriend, whose figure was rapidly fading. In front of them, Hotaru glanced over her shoulder to check on her friends. What she saw made her recoil in surprise and terror. Hotaru gave a hideous scream.

"Oh my God! Oh God! Natsume! What's happening to you?"

"What? What is it?" He looked down at his body. "Where are my feet?" he asked incredulously. He stretched his arms out in front of him. "Oh Sh*t!"

Mikan was on the verge of hysteria, crying and shouting amidst her tears. She reached out to hold Natsume's arm, but her hands grasped at nothing. Hotaru could only stare at her friend in disbelief. He was already quite opaque.

Natsume was panicking.

"Help me! Why am I disappearing? What the hell is happening to me?" Tears of fear and bewilderment started streaming down his face. "Mikan! Hotaru! Help me!"

Both girls tried to grab Natsume, and both stumbled to the ground. They could not believe what was happening. Finally, there was nothing left of him. Just a tiny echo, a soft whisper of "I love you, Mikan…" that soon became part of the wind.

Hotaru broke down. "Oh Mikan! He's gone! Oh God, he's gone!"

"You're strong Mikan, but not strong enough to save yourself or your friend," a voice cackled in Mikan's head. "Natsume's with me now. Pretty soon, I'll have Hotaru on my platter too."

Carrie put her hands over her ears and thrashed her head back and forth.

"Better say goodbye to Hotaru, Mikan."

"Hotaru…" Mikan quickly looked at her sobbing best friend.

"Hotaru!"

Hotaru's figure was evaporating even faster than Natsume did. Mikan ran to her and tried to clasp her body, to no avail.

"Mikan!" Hotaru screeched. "Help me! Help me!"

Mikan sobbed. She shouted her best friend's name over and over again while trying desperately to hold onto emptiness. She kept on screaming until she was hoarse. That was the only thing she could do as her best friend vanished into oblivion.

"Oh Hotaru…" Mikan felt her world slipping away with every ounce of energy she had. She staggered to her feet and ran towards her car, not noticing anthing except the painful throb in the head.

"in the car, Mikan." The voice was back, a tiny murmur of something more horrible that death. "Go to your car. You'll find the answers there."

"Who are you?" she shrieked. "Who the hell are you?"

No one answered her. Mikan was alone, surrounded by a deep foreboding silence more deafening than anything she ever imagined. She stumbled forward, moving without reason. Finally, she reached the white Lancer, still in the same spot where they left it. Mikan gave a small sigh of relief. Seeing the car gave her a bit of strength. Maybe she could find sanctuary inside. Mikan unlocked the door, threw it open, and gave a long, ear-piercing howl.

Inside, staining the cream upholstery with blood, were three familiar figures. The one learning against the door of the front passenger seat was a male. A girl's body was slumped forward on the stirring wheel, another was lying on a pool of red at the back seat. All of them were decapitated. The heads were nowhere to be found. Mikan staggered backwards and fell to the ground. She cowered. Her sanity was fast crumbling.

"No! No! No!" Her voice echoed shrilly through the trees and her head felt as if it was about to explode.

"Looking for these?"

Mikan looked up and saw Luna's vulture-like face grinning down at her. Mikan recognized her own head, dangling along with those of Hotaru's and Natsume's, from Luna's outstretched hand.

"Who are you?" Mikan whispered hoarsely. "Where are my two friends?"

"They're right there, behind you," Luna said mockingly. "At least, their bodies are." She grimaced. "I have their souls."

"You're a witch!"

Luna shook with mirth. "A witch? I suppose you could say that, if that's what your poor, limited mind can understand. I do find that rather simplistic. I prefer to be called something different. A judge? Or maybe a warrior would be more fitting."

Luna stood in front of Mikan, still clutching the string that held the three heads. Mikan could not bear to see her own bloody face. She clamped her eyes shut but she could still feel Luna's stare puncture through her brain.

"I was born in a very special family, Mikan. Others did not know it, but we were blessed by Master himself. I can do things that you cannot even imagine possible.

"My wrath has spanned numerous decades, ever since my entire family was annihilated. Our suffering was great in the hands of your people. Tortured, brutally raped, and finally murdered in the most gruesome way. I have taken my revenge several times, and I will continue doing this long after your generation's grandchildren have left this world."

Luna seemed to have grown ten feet tall right in front of Mikan's eyes.

"That is the way of the real headhunter. Not like those weak mortals in our tribe who shiver at the sight of cars and buildings, and well-dressed people from the city! They were all weaklings!"

"Oh my God!" Mikan felt faint.

Luna smirked. "He doesn't have anything to do with this Mikan, I assure you."

Luna started to walk away. "The souls of your friends, and those of others even before you were born are with me. I play with them. And you know who gets blamed for their deaths? Your people Mikan." Luna laughed. "Your pitiful, ignorant people."

"You're different though," Luna said with a mixture of grudging admiration and puzzlement. "You're stronger that the others. I was able to take your body, but your soul is still free. No matter…I'll get you soon."

"No you won't!" Mikan screamed with more bravura than she felt. "And I won't let you do this to others! I swear!"

"Brave words." Luna looked at her one last time, gave a jaunty wave, and walked away, dragging the heads behind her. A few seconds later, Mikan was alone again, and the silence engulfed her.

***

**Mikan's voice trailed off.** I stared at her, stunned at the totally unbelievable story I just heard.

"Sara?" Mikan whispered. "Say something," she pleaded.

My snicker rose to a chuckle, then to a guffaw, then I burst into laughter. I laughed and laughed until my sides began to ache. I couldn't stop. Maybe I was hysterical.

"it's true Sara," Mikan with quiet firmness. "Everything I said is true."

Her somber tone made me stop. I gaped at her ragged figure and her solemn and exhausted eyes. At that very moment, a terrible feeling of dread and anguish washed over me like a tidal wave. I knew that my best friend was telling the truth.

"Oh Mikan!" A dam exploded and I cried, like I've never cried before.

"I'm here Sara." My best friend said soothingly. "She didn't get me."

Mikan stood up. "I just want you to know what really happened. I'll be fine. But I have to go now."

"No! Don't leave Mikan! Please!" I ran to her and tried to envelope her in a hug. She didn't stop me this time, but to my horror, my hands went through Mikan's body as if she wasn't there at all. I screamed and staggered backwards.

Mikan looked at me with so much love and sorrow. "I have to go."

"Where?" I asked, still cowering.

"Back there. To her. I want to try and get Hotaru and Natsume back and to stop her from doing it again. I know I'm not strong enough. Maybe in time, and with God's help." Mikan smiled at me. "Goodbye Sara."

"Mikan!" I called her name, but she was gone.

"Mikan?" I looked around, hoping that she would come back. No suck luck.

"Oh Mikan…" I collapsed on my bed, sobbing, allowing all those thoughts, as dark as the evening sky, to drown me.

***

**It's been almost a month since that day. **the car and the three bodies were found just outside of San Pablo, by a group of teenage druggies. Another one of those heinous crimes. Those unfortunate youngsters. Rich as they are, they're the ones being blamed for the deaths of my three best friends. Too bad they're just too spaced out to defend themselves.

Mikan's family is heartbroken. To know that your child died in the most grizzly way. They, as well as the families of Hotaru and Natsume, are determined to pin the crime on somebody. Someone who can be punished by the so-called justice of mere mortals. Those unfortunate youngsters. Their only crime was to destroy themselves with drugs and unknowingly, get their fingerprints all over the car and corpses. Luna was right. We are ignorant. Or perhaps just too worldly to see beyond the concrete and mundane.

I haven't seen Mikan since that fateful day, but it haunts me till now. In the dark of night, in my sleep, it comes to me, like death languidly creeping towards its prey. My dreams are filled with visions of blood and gore and bodies decapitated. Piercing shrieks from mouth less faces.

I will go to that forsaken place tomorrow in my dad's black pick-up truck. I will go to Luna, whatever she is, and try to search for answers myself. I know what will happen to me. I can smell the rotten stink of decay everywhere I go. But it's the only way to free myself from the terror which has crept its way into my life. Besides, I feel I owe something to Natsume and Hotaru and Mikan. I only wish that I could be as brave as she was.

**EPILOGUE**

**It was three in the afternoon. **two farmers were on their way home. Under the harsh glare of the sun, they were hurrying home to their sanctuary. They dare not be caught outside at dusk.

The men spoke in hushed tones about an age-old dream of moving to another town someday. Most of their neighbors had already left.

In their hurry, they almost missed a black pick-up truck which collided with a tree. The farmers looked at each other knowingly, and because of an innate sense of morbid curiosity, they walked tentatively towards the vehicle. As expected, they found a woman's body, slumped over the steering wheel. _Such a pity_, they thought. She seemed young, and her figure, lovely.

Running all the way home, the men wondered fleetingly if her face was as pretty as her body. They'll never know. The girl was decapitated.

A few meters away from the pick-up, unseen and undetected by anyone living, were two female figures standing companionably beside each other, they did not speak in words, but they knew exactly what they had to do.

**END!**

**chibi-chan.08**: at last! I finished it! Woohoo! Ahem.. Anyhow.. I'm so sorry for Natsume's, Hotaru's, and Mikan's fans! Gomenasia! You see, it's not a happy ending L I was a bit confuse too at the last part.. The characters were kinda OOC, don't cha think? Again, I DON'T OWN **GAKUEN ALICE** nor **THE CHARACTERS!** But I do own Sara J

Love it? Hate it? Just click the "Review button" below :D


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